Tokyo plans to begin a large-scale trial program to capture and store carbon dioxide this year. The goal -reduce emissions of global warming gases.

The technology can capture CO2 emitted from coal power stations and other such facilities, then store the greenhouse gas under the sea or ground.

After that – sell the technology by 2020.

Guidelines on capture and store will be drawn up by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry by April guidelines. After that rules on:

1.  the transportation of captured CO2,

2.  geographical formations that are suitable for CO2 storage,

(more…)

If you're new here and you like our articles, how about subscribing free for our updates via RSS feed.

King Bauduin Base was closed some forty years ago.

On Feb. 15th Belgium inaugurated Princess Elisabeth Base - a scientific research station that combines high-end technologies and a total respect for the environment.

The base is a zero-emission station. It was built entirely during the International Polar Year, which was, well, um, I don’t know when it was. How come these International Years happen and nobody knows?

Still, kudos to Belgium for setting up shop at the bottom of the world and doing it with minimum harm now and in the future to the environment.

I thought Noah’s Ark was on top of Mt. Ararat in Turkey. I still think it is there, but… And, maybe someone will get to explore there, in my lifetime, I hope.

One of the researchers in Colombia – I wrote about the 10 New Amphibian Species Discovered in Colombia yesterday – said “Without a doubt this region is a true Noah’s Ark.” Meanwhile, others are saying “What Noah’s Ark?” That would be too bad for them.

“The high number of new amphibian species found is a sign of hope, even with the serious threat of extinction that this animal group faces in many other regions of the country and the world,” said the scientific group’s director in a statement.

While turning up the new amphibian species, the expedition also “recorded the presence of large mammals like Baird’s tapir, which is considered endangered in Colombia, four species of monkeys and a population of white-lipped peccary, a pig-like creature.”

The landscape where the many creatures were found is facing “threats from selective logging, cattle ranching, hunting, mining and habitat fragmentation.”

The environmental group Conservation International said, “We don’t go in there and try and tell them to protect the forest for frogs. It’s more a case of working with them to find more sustainable long-term solutions that will protect these resources that are ultimately benefiting them.”

Greenpeace! Are you reading this?

Japan denied accusations that it used weapons against activists from Sea Shepherd Conservation Society on inflatable boats near Antarctica.

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society said two crew members were injured when Japanese whalers used a water cannon, concussion grenades, acoustic weapons and threw brass and lead balls at them.

“If our crew can hit them, then they would be better off quitting the research vessel and joining a professional baseball team,” said an assistant director of the Far Seas Fisheries Division at Japan’s fisheries ministry.

The Japanese fleet used hoses on two Sea Shepherd boats after sending warnings because the Sea Shepherd crew members threw bottles containing dyes and strong-smelling liquid at its boats.

Japan hopes to hunt about 900 whales.

Sea Shepherd has used confrontational tactics including collisions which are widely criticized by pro-whaling groups and fellow environmentalists.

Japan and the United States are hanging out together in back rooms working on a proposal to allow Japan to engage in “coastal whaling” off its (Japan’s) own shores. The catch is Japan will scale back on the country’s controversial “research whaling” in Antarctic waters.International Whaling Commission Chairman will ” issue a public proposal on Feb. 2 that the commission members will openly debate a month later,” said the Washington Post.

Commercial whaling was banned by the IWC in 1986.  Since that time, whaling nations like Japan and anti-whaling countries like the United States and Britain have been at each others’ throats.

IWC allows Japan to kill the whales for scientific purposes. Japan has a culture of consuming whale meat. But Japan argues that its research activities are legal, in compliance with IWC.

There is a very fat whale chance of the new proposal getting through. For one, if Japan is permitted to whale off its coast, the IWC will not be needed any more, and nobody wants to lost their job..

Japan says it intends to withdraw from the IWC or create a new body unless commercial whaling is somehow allowed again.

psy·cho·path – n.   A person with an antisocial personality disorder, manifested in aggressive, perverted, criminal, or amoral behavior without empathy or remorse.

PETA wants the NFL to require the ‘psychopath’ Michael Vick to undergo psychiatric evaluations and brain scans before letting him back on the field. Hmmm…

Now, I don’t buy into anything Vick did, the dog fighting and such. Gosh, if I had my way, I’d do away with the entire NFL, NBA and MLB. Paying criminals ungodly sums to play seems psychopathic to me. But, then the only thing worse than a man asking for $200 million to play a game is somebody willing to pay him that much and others willing to pay to watch him play.

But, PETA is a case of the pot calling the kettle black if I ever saw it before. Consider these posts -

Three Topless PETA Demonstrators outside KFC

Japanese Star, Aya Sugimoto, Poses Nude for PETA

15 Hot (Women) Celebrities that Posed Nude for the Planet

Topless Activists Protest Bear Skin with Bare Skin

Who is being criminal, perverted, amoral and antisocial in this picture?

Okay…both Michael Vick and the PETA folks.

Japan gets almost all of its oil from the Middle East and has nothing to give in return…except water.

Ultra dry Middle East needs water, (doesn’t everyone?) and must produce it from the salt water nearby. There’s a consortium including Hitachi Plant Technologies Ltd. and Toray Industries Inc. that is developing a desalination plant. That’s not new news. But the plant will use half as much power as existing facilities. That’s BIG news. Imagine, using less fossil fuels to produce electricity to desalinate.

There is a group of 14 companies, including Kajima Corp. that will build a prototype this year. They will work together in such areas as membrane production and plant design. More energy savings will come from reworking the water-treatment process. The new process exceeds current quality standards.

The Middle East is the target of the consortium. From 2010, other countries wil be in their sites

The halos we think are magnificent are not the kind that comes in a box – think Halo 3 – but the ring of light that can be seen encircling and extending outwards from the sun or moon. The halo is created ( I love this word) when the sun or moonlight is refracted when passing through ice crystals. There are two types -a 22 degree halo which is created via randomly falling ice crystals and 46 degree halo which is a refraction of light through hexagonal column-type ice crystals. And, all that by chance, mind you…..NOT!

(more…)

Toyama prefecture is located in northern Japan. It gets cold there in the winter, but not really cold enough to freeze a lake or a pond. Not to worry, Japan has an answer to those who still want to go skating. There’s a skating made out of resin, plastic. It’s 300-square-meters square and  billed as environmentally friendly.

The two reasons are – 1. The rink doesn’t use water to make ice and 2. the rink can be operated at half the cost of conventional ice rinks. There is no need for a cooling system. So, why only half the cost, I wonder?

The rink uses some 80 pieces of plastic glued together and skaters can frolic about as if they were on ice. Speed is slower because of greater friction and I don’t suppose your hands get cold when you fall down. Ah, and no worrying about going through the ice and into the drink either.

Have you ever come up with an environment slogan? I remember thinking about those special words that make people understand that we should be good stewards of our planet, our home. Even though most of the time facts are more important in changing people’s minds; they need to see the harm done with their own eyes, often times words have their own weight.

Back to the title. I’ve decided to choose some of the best environment slogans I’ve ever read or heard in various places, ever since I became aware that we should do something to change how we live to guard our home – planet  Earth. We don’t care if you’re going to use them on stickers, banners or t-shirts, but we’d appreciate if you could come up with a few of your own and stick them in the comments below. We’ll add them to the list.

So let’s get going, here are the 20 environment slogans we think we’ll get you thinking.

20. You Must Be the Change You Wish to See in the World – That shouldn’t surprise anyone.

19. Every Time History Repeats Itself the Price Goes Up. - Oil anyone?

18. Where Do You Think the Environment Is? – That will sure get smart people think. What is it? Does it need help? How can we help it?

17. What Would Nature Do? – James Bond style. What would James Bond do to save the animals, to reduce pollution? He’d sure do something brilliant. Right?

16. I Object to NOT Saving our Planet – I do, too.

15. Can You Hear the Eco? – Many don’t. Maybe we can teach them.

14. Hear the Trees Falling? – Not really, but we see forests disappearing.

13. Ignore It And It Will Go Away – Extinct is the word. Ignore the needs and we’ll be space history.

12. What Will Your Children Breathe? – Well don’t be smart with us. It’s going to be air (O2) but unless we do something it’s going to be filled with all sorts of poisons.

11. What Will Your Children Drink? - Sure hope it doesn’t need any more explanations.

10. See Green, See Life – Most of the time if it’s green it has life in it. And no don’t give me the Green Hummer example. We’re talking about plants, nature.

9. Melting Ice – A Hot Topic! – I think it was the World Environment Day slogan selected for 2007. And they have a point. Ever thought what will happen if ice melts. What about the polar bears and their habitat?

8. Delivering Environmental Innovation Through Sustainable Practices. – Intel

7. Kick the CO2 Habit – That was used for the 2008 World Environment Day and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) said it may be easier than you think.

6. Green. That’s how we’d like the world to be. – Toyota … you and me both.

5. Good Golly, Go Green Girl – More like eco club stuff, targeting young students, right?

4. It’s Cool to Be an Eco-school – It sure is. If you really believe in what you do, and your students understand that being eco is not just to be fashionable, we’re good.

3. Green for Bikes – My fellow Romanian friends (pedaleaza.ro) came up with an interesting slogan to make authorities aware that cycling is a solution to a city’s high traffic. The results have been incredible. Lots of bikers.

2. Reduce, Reuse & Recycle – Doesn’t need any explanation, I bet.

1. Will Work for Trees – Simply amazing. Kudos to the one who thought of it. Wish my boss would plant a tree for every article I’m putting up. Right Bill?

Thanks for the beautiful image to photos_mweber@Flickr